


The Summer of Sidewalk Love Letters

by lucidscreamer



Series: 100 Yu-Gi-Oh Prompts [26]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Alternate Universe - Fae, Courtship, Drabble Sequence, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Gen-X Yugi, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Language of Flowers, Love Letters, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Secret Admirer, Suburban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 89
Words: 8,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25835632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucidscreamer/pseuds/lucidscreamer
Summary: It all starts with a strange letter painted on Yugi's sidewalk. It leads to magic, mystery, and (maybe) love.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Sugoroku | Solomon Moto & Mutou Yuugi
Series: 100 Yu-Gi-Oh Prompts [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1266368
Comments: 297
Kudos: 135
Collections: AUgust 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from one of the "Adopt a Title" threads on the NaNoWriMo forums (from several years ago).
> 
> NOTES: This is set in the '80s, so no cellphones or internet! And I'll post the flower symbology at the end of the series -- or you can find the book I used for free on Project Gutenberg.
> 
> http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31591/31591-h.htm
> 
> Prompts:  
> 85\. Secret Admirer (100 YGO Themes)  
> 02\. elfin elixir (30 Sci-fi Prompts)  
> 1\. Fantasy AU (AU-gust 2020)
> 
> Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the creation of Kazuki Takahashi. No ownership of the canon characters, settings, or events is claimed and none should be implied.

The first "letter" appeared with the start of summer.

Fresh from bed and woefully under-caffeinated, Yugi almost stepped in the middle of the display before some portion of his sleep-fogged brain noticed the brilliant colors decorating his doorstep and managed to flag his foot before it could complete the action.

Without knowing why, Yugi flailed wildly, arms windmilling as he made an athletic hop from the doorstep to the far side of the walk. He didn't quite stick the landing, wobbling for an elongated moment on tiptoe in a futile attempt to remain upright before nearly face-planting on the sidewalk.


	2. Chapter 2

Hands bracing him on the concrete, Yugi ended up with his nose mere inches from a large purple flower. His startled gasp sucked pollen and most of a bearded petal up his nose. Fortunately, the resulting startled sneeze barely disturbed the frame of floral material around the sidewalk painting, which was what his brain had finally sorted the anomalous bright spot of color into. With a groan for his scraped palms, Yugi knelt to examine the surprise floral graffiti decorating his doorstep.

Closer inspection revealed a miniature work of art. The design seemed to be some sort of squiggly ...writing? 


	3. Chapter 3

Barely the size of both his palms together and framed by a circle of flowers, the rectangle of squiggles --like rows of drunken commas-- formed what looked like a letter. It had a heading that might be a salutation and something that could be a signature if Yugi squinted. The "ink" glistened wetly. When he gingerly pressed a finger to one squiggle, the liquid clung to his skin. When he rubbed his fingers together, the "ink" felt odd in a way he couldn't define, slippery and glittering faintly in the sun. 

It smelled of summer: sunlit heat, fruit, and flowers.


	4. Chapter 4

Who could've left him a maybe-letter written in berry juice(?) on his sidewalk? Why do that instead of sending him a letter on actual _paper_? Or knocking on the door and speaking to him in person? Yugi loved games and puzzles; maybe one of his friends had done it? 

Téa was in New York, auditioning for a dance company. Tristan had left for the police academy a week ago. And nothing short of world-ending catastrophe persuaded Joey from his bed before noon on weekends. But if none of them had done it, who was leaving guerrilla artwork on Yugi's sidewalk?


	5. Chapter 5

Yugi wondered how long the little artwork would last, exposed as it was to the elements and foot-traffic on the sidewalk outside his grandmother's house. He hated the thought of the puzzle disappearing before he'd had a chance to solve it, but he was going to be late for work... 

Inspiration struck. Leaping over the "letter", he ran back inside to find his grandma's Polaroid. The instant camera held a full pack of film, so he snapped a couple of pictures of the mysterious maybe-letter and the flowers framing it. 

Carefully, he catalogued the plants as he gathered them up.


	6. Chapter 6

The large purple flowers with the yellow-bearded petals were irises. The green sprigs were peppermint, pungent when Yugi bruised their tender leaves. 

He plunked the plants into a water-filled glass and set the them on the kitchen table alongside the developing photos. He frowned at the arrangement for a moment before mentally tucking the intriguing riddle it represented away for later perusal.

And then, because even Grandpa wouldn't accept solving a puzzle as a reasonable excuse for being late to work, Yugi took a final long look at the painted "letter", locked the front door, and scurried on his way.


	7. Chapter 7

Yugi meant to do some research during his lunch break and try to figure out the squiggles, but the gameshop was swamped. He barely had time to gulp a hasty burger behind the counter. By the time he dragged himself home, a rainshower had erased all trace of the strange offering.

Exhausted from his day and distracted by thoughts of a hot bath, a cold drink, and a relaxing game -- not necessarily in that order -- Yugi didn't spare another thought for his morning misadventure. He never noticed the avid gaze following his progress from the shadow of the flowerbed's ferns.


	8. Chapter 8

The following day was a repeat of the previous morning, complete with acrobatic flailing and ignominious face-planting, this time into a hyacinth. Only the length of the "letter" and the details of the floral framework differed. 

Yugi dutifully snapped a picture before dashing off to another day at the gameshop. Again, the strange gift slipped his mind as he worked, seeming more like something he'd dreamed up than an actual thing. It wasn't until he stuck a hand into his pocket and encountered the crumpled petals of the flower he'd stuffed in there earlier that he remembered the newest "installation".


	9. Chapter 9

Things were upended this summer.

Grandma Sarah's short-lived foray into skateboarding had resulted in a broken ankle, a sprained wrist, and "an assortment of scrapes and bruises" (in her own words). So, Yugi had offered to spend the summer with her, helping out around the house, running errands, and generally making himself useful. 

Fortunately, she was well enough when business unexpectedly spiked at the gameshop that he could also work there a few days a week when Grandpa needed an extra hand. Come autumn, Yugi'd be working there full-time, learning the business for when he'd take over from Grandpa someday.


	10. Chapter 10

When Grandma teased Yugi about his ever-growing bouquet, he explained about the odd things left on the walk. She grinned at him --the one that meant she was about to say something she thought was clever-- and sing-songed, "Someone's got a secret admirer."

"Grandma!"

"Love letters on the doorstep, flowers, gifts--"

Eyes wide, Yugi protested. "Who said anything about love letters?!"

"Well, what else would they be? You don't leave flowers with flyers for the mall's grand re-opening."

"Okay, but..."

Grandma eyed the floral offerings he'd crammed into the tumbler on the counter. "Maybe there's more than one message here..."


	11. Chapter 11

"This might help." Grandma pressed a small book into his hands.

Yugi glanced at the title, swooping calligraphy framed by two ladies in long, fancy dresses like something out of an old painting: _Language of Flowers_. 

At his confused look, Grandma added, "Flowers can be used to convey messages. Maybe whoever is leaving them is trying to tell you something."

If the flowers were a code... He could make a list, maybe find their meanings in the book? Yugi's heartbeat quickened. Another layer of the puzzle to solve!

Grandma shook her head fondly at his grin. "You and your _games_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Language of Flowers" is a real book and is available for free in several places online, including Project Gutenberg. 
> 
> Flower meanings vary from source to source, so I decided to stick with one widely available one (and I already had this one at hand).


	12. Chapter 12

Codes were just another kind of puzzle, Yugi thought as he opened his notebook to a fresh page. He began carefully transcribing the squiggle writing from Polaroid to paper. It was harder than he'd thought it would be, but swapping pencil for a broad-nibbed pen borrowed from Grandma's copious art supplies helped. 

Afterward, he paperclipped the photos to the notebook's cover and turned his attention to the flowers he'd collected over the past two days. Grandma had suggested pressing the nicer ones to keep.

For now, a list of the plants in the order he'd received them could be useful.


	13. Chapter 13

Since Yugi was spending the summer with Grandma, he had to hop the cross-town bus to get to work. He spent the time flipping through the book she'd given him. Between the worn cloth covers, the pages were filled with old-fashioned illustrations of winged children (fairies?), and women in long dresses and improbably large hats. 

He'd stuck the list of flowers between the pages, along with a pressed sprig of mint ("warm feelings" according to the book) and planned to see what meanings could be assigned to them. If nothing else, it'd be an interesting way to pass the ride.


	14. Chapter 14

"What's got you so absorbed?" Grandpa appeared next to Yugi without warning and peered at the book Yugi was poring over. "Flower language?"

"Um." Yugi's cheeks heated. "Grandma Sarah gave it to me."

Grandpa's eyebrows shot up. "Any particular reason?"

"Kinda?" Knowing he was about to get teased, Yugi explained about the letters and gifts he'd found outside Grandma's door each morning.

"Sure they're not for Sarah?" Grandpa winked.

"Well, there was a red hyacinth with both messages." Yugi turned to the appropriate page in the book. "It means sport, play or, um, game."

Grandpa nodded sagely. "Just like 'Yugi'." 


	15. Chapter 15

"Where'd you get a photo of a Demotic text?" Grandpa frowned at the Polaroids on the counter.

"Demotic? The squiggles?"

Grandpa laughed. "Arthur used to call them drunken commas."

Arthur was Grandpa's old friend from his adventurer days; Yugi had met him a couple of times.

"You mean it's real writing?"

"Of course!"

"Can you read it?"

"Well, I may be a bit rusty, but I can probably figure it out..."

"Would you? Figure it out, I mean."

Grandpa frowned. "What is this, Yugi?"

"Y'know the weird maybe-letters I told you about?" Yugi fanned out the photos. "This is them."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time skips because I don't want to have a chapter for every day of the whole summer! (And please remember this is set in the 1980s so Yugi isn't going to be Googling for information.)

Grandpa offered to translate the Demotic writing, leaving Yugi to figure out the flower messages on his own with the help of _Flower Language_ and a book on plant identification he'd borrowed from the local library. 

Everyday, the list grew longer:

Peppermint for _warm feelings_. Purple iris for _message_ or _my compliments_. Blue periwinkle meant _early friendship_ and jonquil was _I desire a return of affection_. There was garden sage ( _esteem_ ) and chervil ( _sincerity_ ), faded purple amethyst ( _admiration_ ),   
pyramidal bell flower ( _constancy_ ), and a white star-shaped orchid that Yugi had yet to identify.

And every morning, always a red hyacinth.


	17. Chapter 17

"Your letters are Demotic but _not_ Egyptian." Grandpa handed him several typed pages. 

Reading the first page's faded text -- Grandpa needed to change his ribbon -- Yugi raised his eyebrows. "Poetry?"

"I don't recognize it, but Sarah might."

Grandma loved poetry, calling it "painting with words." Yugi nodded. "I'll ask her when I get home."

"Give her my regards." Grandpa gave Yugi a one-armed hug. "I know you're taking good care of her."

"She's ready for the cast to come off." Yugi'd helped her cover it in bright butterfly designs. 

Grandpa chuckled. "That'll teach her to try skateboarding at her age!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my headcanon that Grandpa has a manual typewriter and hates changing (or re-inking) the ribbon.


	18. Chapter 18

"It's Anacreon."

"Gesundheit."

Grandma rolled her eyes. "Your poem, goofball."

"Anawhasit?"

"Nevermind."

Grinning, Yugi re-read the scant lines Grandpa had translated for him.

_To Love, the babe of Cyprian bowers,_   
_The boy, who breathes and blushes flowers;_   
_To Love, for heaven and earth adore him,_   
_And gods and mortals bow before him._

"It seems kinda girly..."

" _Men_." She rolled her eyes. "It's an ode to Love personified." 

"Oh." Flattering, then. (But still kinda girly.) "Why would anyone send _me_ a poem?"

"Honestly, Yugi." Grandma shook her head fondly. "It's romantic!"

"I guess..."

It was still girly... but maybe kinda nice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anacreon was a lyric poet in ancient Greece. The translation used here is by Irish poet Thomas Moore.


	19. Chapter 19

Thankfully, there was no embarrassing poetry in the second translated letter. Instead, it was almost a letter of introduction that requested the "opportunity to make your acquaintance." It spoke of the hope for a friendship between Yugi and the letter writer, and in vague terms offered Yugi a glimpse of the personality behind the writing.

The language was formal and eloquent, polite and yet infused with a warmth that was at once surprising and somehow... familiar? The more Yugi read, the more the nagging sensation rose at the back of his mind that he should know who this person was....


	20. Chapter 20

Yugi soon developed an almost gymnastic morning routine: launch out the door already in mid-hop, stick the landing and pivot, snap a photo of the letter. After a week, he had it down to a science and so ingrained that he opened the door with his finger on the shutter-release button and his knees bent to spring.

Which is why he was airborne before he realized there was someone crouched on the sidewalk. Yugi tried to abort his jump, failed miserably and went down in a tangle of limbs and bright pain, scattering petals and curses into the morning air.


	21. Chapter 21

Yugi groaned as he rolled off the unfortunate person who'd broken his fall. Notebook and soda had gone flying, and the camera had only been spared thanks to the strap tethering it to his wrist. 

Yugi's victim sat up and glared at him. "What the hell, dude?"

"Sorry." Yugi steadied himself on the planter box next to the walk as the world gave a dizzying spin. "Didn't see you there until it was too late."

"Do you always hopscotch out of your doorway or did I pick a lucky morning to stop by?"

"I was trying not to step on--" 


	22. Chapter 22

Yugi broke off, blinking at the remains of today's offering: crushed flowers and Coke-smeared writing, impossible to read. For a moment, he could only stare.

"Hey, you okay?"

Yugi turned his head and got his first real look at his victim. It was a guy Yugi's age, with a dark mass of spiked hair held back from his face by a woven headband. An earring -- neon-colored dice on a wire -- dangled from one earlobe. Emerald eyes outlined in thick eyeliner watched Yugi warily. His t-shirt was black and artfully shredded, as were the knees of his sinfully tight, stone-washed jeans.


	23. Chapter 23

Staring down at the remains of the ruined letter, Yugi grimaced. Was there enough left to decipher? The strange ink was smeared, the already difficult writing even more impossible to read than before.

The stranger followed Yugi's gaze. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to make you mess up your... decorations?"

"It's not--" Yugi made a helpless gesture. "Someone's been leaving them there."

"Oh. You don't know who?"

"Grandma says it's a secret admirer." Yugi's face burned.

Tilting his head, the stranger studied him for a moment, green eyes mischievous as his gaze roamed over Yugi head-to-toe. "I can see why."


	24. Chapter 24

Did that mean... could this be his secret admirer? Testing the waters, Yugi said, "I haven't seen you around before."

"Oh, I've been around." White teeth flashed in a trickster's grin. "I'm Duke Devlin."

"Yugi Mutou. Nice to meet you."

They shook hands, bangles jangling on Duke's thin wrist with the motion. His fingers lingered just a smidge longer than necessary. "So... You're new in the neighborhood, Yugi?"

"Kinda?" Yugi explained about his grandmother's accident while Duke made appropriately sympathetic noises. "So, I've been here before but not full-time."

"Well, then I can still offer to show you around sometime." 


	25. Chapter 25

Always happy for new friends, Yugi ended up agreeing to meet Duke for lunch at the pizzeria on Saturday. If Duke's answering smile was a bit smug, Yugi shrugged it off. Maybe this was Duke's way of seeing how Yugi felt about the letters? But then why be coy? So, maybe it wasn't him. Yugi would figure it out.

He took the now customary photograph, then laid it on the step to dry while he gathered up the crushed flowers. As usual, there was a hyacinth, but today's offering also included white clover and two polished apples, russet and dun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duke just showed up and inserted himself into this fic. Gotta love the pushy characters, eh? But I think I've figured out what to do with him.
> 
> The fragment 'apples, russet and dun' is a nod to "The Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti.


	26. Chapter 26

As Yugi prepared to head home for the day, Grandpa handed him a sheaf of papers. More translated letters, Yugi saw as he flipped through the pages. 

"Thanks, Grandpa."

"Anytime." Grandpa ruffled Yugi's hair. "Making any headway with the flowers?"

"Some." Heat suffused Yugi's cheeks. The floral symbolism was of affection and friendship (and maybe a bit more), and felt too personal to share. "Oh! There's been some fruit, too. Any idea what that means?"

"That your friend thinks you're hungry?"

Yugi groaned.

"What kind of fruit?"

"Apples, mostly."

Grandpa considered this, then said, "Ever played the apple peel game?"


	27. Chapter 27

The apple peel game, Grandpa explained, was an old one. If Yugi peeled the apple in one long strip and then tossed the peel over his shoulder it would land in the shape of his true love's initials. 

Feeling foolish, Yugi tossed the peel over his shoulder and then turned. The peel had landed on the floor in a configuration that-- 

Bewildered, Yugi stared at the results. Was it his imagination or did the curl of the apple peel resemble the squiggle writing more than a little bit? 

"So, am I crazy," Yugi asked, "or does that actually spell something?"


	28. Chapter 28

Grandpa seemed amused that Yugi was asking him to interpret an apple peel, but then his expression turned thoughtful. "Huh."

Yugi waited impatiently, prodding when Grandpa remained silent: "Well? What does it say?"

"Atem."

"What's that mean?"

"It's a name," Grandpa said, sounding distracted. Then he blinked and finally looked away from the fallen peel. "I mean, it _could_ be. It's a name in Egyptian mythology, it might mean anything now I suppose. Or nothing." He shook his head. "But according to the game, your love's name is Atem."

He bustled off, leaving Yugi alone to wonder: _who was Atem_?


	29. Chapter 29

As Yugi exited the house, he was humming a song he'd heard on the radio, the upbeat tune matching his mood. He hopped-turned-snapped... and froze, feeling his smile morph into a grimace.

Another letter destroyed. The smeared berry ink looked as if someone had tried to scrub it away. The flowers had been torn apart and crushed, some positively ground into the cement walk. Stunned Yugi slowly plucked up a few surviving petals and tucked them into his book for later identification. As he stood staring, something caught his eye.

There, beside the ruined letter, lay a gleaming black feather.


	30. Chapter 30

Yugi watched his grandmother read the translated letters. A part of him didn't like sharing something that seemed so personal, but he reasoned that Grandpa had already seen them -- and Yugi definitely wanted Grandma's advice.

When she'd finished, he asked, "What should I do?"

"What do you want to do?" Her hand smoothed over the paper, as if she'd take the words into her skin.

What did he want? To find out who left him such eloquent messages in ink and flowers, to know more about them... When he said so, Grandma smiled.

"Then, Yugi," she said, "write them back."


	31. Chapter 31

Writing a return letter felt like the hardest thing he'd ever done, though Yugi knew he was being ridiculous. Still, finding the words was tricky, especially since Grandpa would have to read them in order to translate them into squiggle. But Yugi persevered, resolved to write the thing before he lost his nerve. 

Come morning, Grandma offered a quick critique for which he was duly grateful (if also completely mortified by), and sent him off to the gameshop with a hug and a home-cooked lunch.

Grandpa only teased him a bit before agreeing to translate.

It was a good day.


	32. Chapter 32

Yugi stood in the doorway, considering the letter in his hand. It was written on a sheet of Grandma's finest linen stationary and folded neatly around a china aster -- colorful as a mini-sunburst -- from the garden. His stomach fluttered with butterflies. Was he really gonna do this?

Thinking about the messages he'd received, he nodded to himself. Yeah, he wanted to find out more about the mysterious person leaving them. 

Carefully, he laid the letter on the sidewalk. After a moment's thought, he looked around for a stone to weight the corner of the paper so it wouldn't blow away.


	33. Chapter 33

The pizza was nice (though not as good as Yugi's favorite burgers) and so was Duke's company. But there was something about the sly glances and knowing smirks that put Yugi's guard up. He pretended to ignore it, redirecting the conversation when Duke's questions got too personal, until one inquiry caught him completely by surprise.

"No..." Yugi said slowly, staring at his companion. "I don't have a _boyfriend_ , much less a _fiance_."

There was that sly smile again. "Perhaps I was misinformed."

"By who?" And why were they talking about Yugi?

Duke shrugged. "Friends."

"Well, they were wrong."

"I see."


	34. Chapter 34

Later, as he was preparing for bed, Yugi replayed that strange conversation at the pizzeria over in his mind. Why had Duke thought Yugi had a fiance? Had Duke confused him with someone else? And why had he seemed so... _amused_ by Yugi's denial? 

At the moment, Yugi didn't even have a boy- or girlfriend, much less someone he planned to _marry_. Not like he'd never dated, but he'd never been serious about anyone. And eighteen was too young to settle down, anyway! Sure, he had a job and plans for his future, but...

No, he wasn't ready for that.


	35. Chapter 35

Sunday's letter was...

Yugi frowned at the sight of the smeared ink. In the early light, it looked like dried blood. This time, a single flower lay atop the vandalized writing. The large, fluted petals -- white, with purple streaks arising from the center -- were pretty enough, but the dark green leaves with their saw-toothed edges were somehow vaguely threatening.

A chill woke goosebumps on Yugi's skin as he gingerly picked up the offering and took it inside. 

"What're you doing with jimsonweed?" Grandma's voice startled him from his puzzled contemplation.

"It was on the walk."

"Oh, dear. That's... not good."


	36. Chapter 36

"What does it mean?" Yugi asked.

Grandma's mind seemed elsewhere. "Did you take your photo?"

"The letter's destroyed." What good would it do?

"Nonetheless." Grandma's attention snapped back to him, suddenly all business. "Your grandpa might be able to make something of it."

Yugi felt a twinge of hope, as painful as it was warming. "You think so?"

"He's been known to work a little magic," Grandma said archly. "Throw that noxious thing out--" She pointed to the weed. "--and we'll see what may be done."

* * *

After taking a photo, Yugi crushed the weed and tossed it onto the sidewalk.


	37. Chapter 37

After breakfast, Grandma conscripted Yugi to help clean her attic. He lugged boxes stuffed with cast-offs downstairs while Grandma sat on the floor and culled out-of-season clothing and holiday ornaments.

Yugi finally collapsed onto a stray cushion that had lost its sofa and contemplated never moving again. He'd live in the attic. There was plenty of room now that he'd shifted most of the junk out. Only the promise of Grandma's home-baked cookies got him up and working again.

His thoughts dwelled on the weed. _Deceitful charms_... An insult or a warning? But of what? And who destroyed the letter?


	38. Chapter 38

In the last trunk, shoved beneath the eaves, Yugi found them -- an entire stack of letters neatly tied with a faded-red silken cord. Were they love letters belonging to Grandma? (The thought of Grandma in some torrid affair boggled his mind.) They'd clearly been in the attic for years, decades even.

Yugi freed a letter from the stack and cautiously unfolded it. The paper was thick and heavy, brittle around the edges, the ink faded to sepia. The handwriting was old-fashioned and curly, weirdly reminiscent of the squiggle writing. But what it said shocked him.

The salutation read _Dearest Yugi_...


	39. Chapter 39

> _Dearest Yugi,_
> 
> _It pains me to know you will never read this letter. Even so, I write it so that I may feel closer to you, to feel that we have not lost all connection. You are so far from me, lost to a world we can never share._
> 
> _I miss you._

Yugi's hand had the faintest tremor as he folded the letter and laid it aside. Who could have written it? Was it really for him? What did it all mean?

He wondered if Grandma knew, and if she would tell him if she did.

He unfolded another letter.


	40. Chapter 40

Each letter was similar, filled with grief and loneliness. Yugi's throat tightened and his eyes stung with unshed tears as he read. 

>   
>  _Even should you see me, you would not know me..._
> 
>   
>  _The ache of knowing I am but a stranger to you is a burden I must bear, along with our separation..._
> 
>   
>  _Every night I dream of you. Every dawn I pray for resolution. Every day, as I go about my duties, you are in my heart._

  
Yugi's hand shook as he unfolded the final letter.

>   
>  _Know I will never stop searching. We will be together again, my love._


	41. Chapter 41

Once again, Yugi ran into Duke Devlin on his doorstep -- though he did manage not to do so literally this time. Duke was standing to one side, frowning at that day's letter.

"Um," said Yugi, startled at the unexpected visitor. "Hi?"

"Oh, hey, Yugi." Duke's frustrated expression shifted to a sly smile. "How're you this fine morning?"

"Confused. Were you looking for me?"

"Sure." Duke upped the wattage on his smile. "I realized I didn't get your number the other day."

Because Yugi hadn't offered it. "Oh. Well..."

"Not that I mind dropping by."

Sighing, Yugi gave Duke the number.


	42. Chapter 42

Duke hung around, giving Yugi no time to consider his letter. He took a photo and handed the camera to Grandma, who promised to pick up the flowers for him. Then he walked to the bus stop with Duke, who insisted on accompanying him.

"How about I take you out for lunch today?" Duke offered as they waited for the bus.

"Oh, um... I already have plans." Yugi didn't, beyond a vague notion of having lunch outside. It was sunny and warm, a perfect picnic day. "Thanks, anyway."

"Some other time, then."

Yugi just shrugged and got on the bus.


	43. Chapter 43

Inspired by the glorious day, Yugi took his lunch to the park and found a comfortable spot beneath a lone hawthorn. Bird-song and a soft breeze were his companions as he ate. 

A caw drew his attention to a large crow strutting toward him. Yugi tossed it a crust, but the bird ignored it in favor of Yugi's dessert. 

"Hey, that's my cake!"

Blue-gray feathers dove across Yugi's sight-line and harried the crow into fleeing with the second bird in pursuit.

Yugi didn't see the blue-gray bird again, but he left a morsel of cake under the hawthorn as thanks.


	44. Chapter 44

"Have a good lunch, Yugi?"

Yugi looked up to meet Grandpa's inquisitive gaze and shrugged. "A crow tried to steal my cake."

To his surprise, Grandpa tensed. "A crow?"

"Yeah." Yugi had the feeling he was missing something important. "Another bird chased it off."

Grandpa relaxed. "I don't suppose you have any cake left?"

"Not with me." He laughed. "I should've known you were worried about the cake."

"I assume Sarah made it. That makes it worth protecting."

"Not gonna argue." Grandma made the best cakes. "I'll bring you a slice tomorrow."

"You're my favorite grandson."

"I'm your _only_ grandson!"


	45. Chapter 45

Yugi had never noticed the little bird before. It sat high on a shelf in Grandpa's office in the back of the shop, between a framed family photo and a souvenir pyramid from one of Grandpa's trips to Egypt.

"Grandpa--" Yugi called to get his attention. "--what kind of bird is that?"

Following Yugi's gesture to the statuette, Grandpa smiled. "It's a falcon. Why?"

"I think I saw one in the park."

"Doubtful." Grandpa stroked his beard thoughtfully. "They're not native to Domino."

But the more Yugi studied the statuette, the more convinced he became. Why did it seem important?


	46. Chapter 46

Yugi cautiously peered out the door. Happily, today's letter seemed intact. The flowerbed beside the steps, however, showed clear signs of having been disturbed, with torn plants and churned up earth. And there were shed feathers everywhere, as if birds had been molting... or fighting?

Looking more closely, he saw that the feathers were distinctly from two separate species: iridescent black crow feathers and softly barred blue-gray falcon feathers. It was too much to be a coincidence, but he couldn't make sense of it. Why had the falcon been here? Was it the same crow?

What did it all mean?


	47. Chapter 47

It took all of Yugi's willpower to tuck the latest batch of typed translations safely into his pocket rather than read them right away. The weight of the letters tugged at him until he was safely back home.

There, Yugi unfolded the first page and read:

> _Your return letter means the world to me, as does your generosity in accepting my own poor attempts at communication. I'm sure you have many questions. Were I not constrained -- in word and deed -- it would be my honor to grant you answers. I have faith you will find your own._
> 
> _In hope,_
> 
> _A._


	48. Chapter 48

Startled by that innocuous "A" in the signature, Yugi quickly shuffled through the remaining letters. All were signed with the same initial, though he couldn't recall seeing it before. Had he simply overlooked it?

A quick perusal of the previous letters assured him that, no, he hadn't. The earlier missives (or at least the translations) hadn't been signed. But now there was that letter "A".

Moved by an impulse he didn't dare examine too closely, Yugi compared the attic letters to his translations. No signatures, not even initials, but the way they sounded was so similar...

Had "A" written them?


	49. Chapter 49

That single "A" burned in Yugi's imagination, in his dreams, in his thoughts as he went about his daily routine. But it wasn't until he was helping Grandma peel apples for one of her famous pies that he remembered the apple peel game.

Most specifically, the _result_ of the apple peel game.

Atem.

A.

Were they -- _could_ they be -- one and the same?

But it was crazy to think something as silly as a party game could tell him... anything, really. And those letters from the attic... They couldn't be addressed to _him_. Maybe... Was there an ancestor named Yugi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could've sworn I already posted this chapter.


	50. Chapter 50

Yugi caught his grandfather's attention as they restocked shelves before opening the gameshop. "Was I named after someone?"

Grandpa straightened with a groan, his hands going automatically to his back. "I'm getting too old for that," he complained. "How about handling the lower shelves?"

They swapped sides, Yugi settling on his knees to neaten the lower displays. "So... Was I? Named for someone, I mean?"

"What brought this on?" 

Did he want to explain about the letters? They seemed so personal, even if they weren't meant for him. "Just curious."

" _Hm_. You weren't."

Then who were those letters addressed to?


	51. Chapter 51

Yugi found Grandma in her studio, _Diamond Dogs_ blasting while she painted. He waved at her, then motioned to the stereo, waiting until she nodded before turning down the volume. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can." She stuck her brush into the jar of turpentine. "What is it?"

"I already asked Grandpa and he said no, but I thought maybe it was from your side of the family and--"

" _Yugi_."

He fell silent.

"Sweetheart, what're you talking about?"

Oh. Right. "Sorry. I was wondering... if I'm named for someone, maybe an ancestor?"

"No. Why?"

"Um, just curious."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Diamond Dogs" is the 1974 album by David Bowie.


	52. Chapter 52

If the letters were addressed to him, why were they on old paper? And why hide them in the attic? Besides, they _felt_ old. They'd been dust-covered and brittle... Were they just... fiction? A story? But why use his name? 

Mind spinning, Yugi retrieved the attic letters, inhaling the vanilla scent of aged paper as he read them again. 

> _Dearest Yugi_...

The simplest option was that they were meant for him. Were they somehow connected to the letters scribed in berry-ink on the sidewalk? Were "A" and "Atem" the same? 

  
Was _everything_ connected? 

Were the coincidences... not coincidences at all?


	53. Chapter 53

"Can you teach me to read this writing?" Yugi ran his fingers over the photo of the letter. It was embarrassing to have Grandpa reading such personal exchanges.

Grandpa glanced up. "It would take awhile, especially to get fluent."

"Oh. Yeah." That made sense. Still... "I wonder why A doesn't just write in English."

With a shrug, Grandpa handed Yugi the typed translations and took the new Polaroid. "Maybe you should ask them in your next letter."

"Maybe." He had a lot of questions for A, starting with who they really were. "Thanks, Grandpa. I brought you some cake."

"Excellent!"


	54. Chapter 54

When Yugi went to bed it was with a head stuffed full of questions and precious few answers. His gaze lingered on the wind-chimes in the open window, silver bells that sang sweetly in the faint breeze. Gradually, the tinkle of the bells lulled his mind into a more peaceful state -- and eventually into dreams.

He was in a glade like something out of a Hildebrandt painting, with giant trees bathed in shimmering, golden light. The air was scented with honeysuckle and dew and the verdant forest surrounding him. 

But something felt _off_. He needed to wake, he shouldn't see...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Brothers Hildebrandt were prolific fantasty artists in the '70 and '80s, with one of their most famous works being one of the movie posters for the original _Star Wars_ in 1977. With his grandmother being who she is, Yugi would be very familiar with their work. For this, I was specifically thinking of the illustrations they did for _Ushurak_ and some of their _Lord of the Rings_ artwork.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Hildebrandt


	55. Chapter 55

Yugi stepped into the shadows beneath two sunlit trees and was suddenly in the park at twilight.

Someone had hung bells on his hawthorn, tiny silver bells like the kind you saw at Christmas, that jingled in the breeze. Slumping onto the grass, he stared at the darkening sky. His mind was adrift with confusion and a nagging sense he shouldn't stay here. It warred with a part of him that insisted this was exactly where he needed to be.

Commotion in the hawthorn stirred the bells into cacophony. Startled, Yugi twisted to see a familiar falcon perched above him.


	56. Chapter 56

The falcon was a fragment of moonlight wreathed in smoke, all blue-gray dappled feathers and snapping eyes bright as gems. It was fierceness personified, powerful talons digging into the branch on which it perched like a king on his throne as it surveyed its domain. Then its gaze settled on Yugi with the weight of destiny and something inside his chest ached with it. His eyes burned as he met that regard.

Certainty settled over him, a dream-mantle dulling everything but the raptor before him, and stole the breath from his lungs.

Without knowing why, Yugi whispered, "...I _know_ you."


	57. Chapter 57

The falcon's gaze pierced Yugi to his soul. Though the night was warm he shivered.

"I know you," Yugi repeated. "But I can't remember why or how..."

The falcon hopped closer, the movement setting the tiny bells ringing. The branch bent beneath its weight, dipping so low that Yugi could've easily reached up and brushed its wing.

Something hard and smooth fell into Yugi's outstretched hand, but before he could see what it was, a flock of crows dropped from the darkening sky, their sharp talons and beaks aimed at him like arrows.

The falcon shrieked as it took wing.


	58. Chapter 58

Disoriented, Yugi opened his eyes. He'd been dreaming. The bells at his bedroom window chimed, breeze turning to a cooler wind that raised goosebumps on his flesh. His fingers were curled tight around... something.

Confused, Yugi opened his hand and held it up to the moonlight pouring through the window. He held a small river-rock, polished by time and water, a perfectly round hole worn through the center. On the sheet, pale in the moonlight, lay a single falcon feather.

When Yugi looked at it through the hole in the stone, the feather shimmered, outlined in gleaming strands of gold.


	59. Chapter 59

The strange dream -- and the things from it that had followed him into reality -- haunted Yugi. He strung the hag stone on a red cord, the same cord that had bound his attic letters, and wore it around his neck. The feather he hid under his pillow.

Going about his day, he sometimes paused and looked through the hole in the stone. Most things remained the same, but some...

A teenager on the bus looked human but shimmered as if surrounded by heat haze and glitter.

Grandpa's falcon figurine _hummed_.

And Grandma's house and yard were littered with hot spots.


	60. Chapter 60

Yugi was seeing everything with fresh eyes.

Grandma's rowan trees glittered. The air shimmered around the flowerbeds overflowing with verbena and dill, rosemary and wild garlic. Blue glass bottles were miniature infernos as they incinerated trapped malevolence in the sun. Every window shimmered blue, the beds below bursting with angelica and fennel. The porch sang with wind-chimes and bells, and -- on the blue-painted door -- the doorknocker snarled around the iron ring in its wide, gargoyle's mouth. 

Inside the house, Yugi's room nearly blinded him when he looked at it with this new sight. It made him wonder what Grandma feared.


	61. Chapter 61

The day was hot, perfect for lemonade in tall glasses garnished with mint from the thriving plants in the huge pots by the backdoor. Grandma smiled when Yugi set one of the glasses on her work-table. 

"Thanks, sweetheart." She took a long drink. "That hits the spot."

Sipping his own lemonade, Yugi nodded. After he'd swallowed, he asked, "Can we talk?"

"Is something bothering you, Yugi?" A concerned frown furrowed her brow. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

"No, I just..." Slowly, he set the letters from the attic on the table and watched her eyes widen.

" _Oh_ ," she whispered.


	62. Chapter 62

"Where did you find these?" Grandma's voice was choked, filled with an emotion Yugi couldn't name.

"The attic."

She closed her eyes, then nodded. "I... had forgotten about them."

"They look old." Yugi watched her closely. "But they're addressed to me."

Grandma's eyes flew open and she stared at him. "You can read them?"

Why did that surprise her? "The ink's a little faded, but it's not that hard to make out."

"Yugi..." With exquisite care, Grandma unfolded one of the letters and smoothed it open. She tapped the paper to draw his gaze. "These letters weren't written in English."


	63. Chapter 63

"But..." It certainly looked like English to Yugi. "How can I read them if they're not in English?"

Grandma's eyes shone. "It must mean--" She broke off abruptly, mouth working but no sound coming out. She shook her head, frustrated. 

"What does it mean?" Yugi demanded.

She shook her head again.

"Why won't you tell me?"

After a moment, Grandma sighed. "I can't."

"Why not?!"

"I can't say."

"Does Grandpa know?" 

"He can't tell you, either."

Frustrated, Yugi tugged at his hair. "What _can_ you tell me?"

"Don't give up. You can solve this-- You _must_. And... I love you."


	64. Chapter 64

"What are all the precautions for?" If she couldn't talk about the letters, maybe she could tell him about all the protections on and around the house.

Clearly, Grandma hadn't been expecting that question. "What do you mean?"

"I can see them," Yugi said. "All the iron, the noise-makers, the plants..." 

All that reading he'd done about flower meanings had also turned up superstitions about the protective qualities of plants when it came to malevolent spirits and fairy creatures. It led him to one conclusion.

"Are you in danger, Grandma?"

"Oh, Yugi..." Grandma's smile was sad. "No, sweetheart. _You_ are."


	65. Chapter 65

Summer days sped by with Yugi no wiser or closer to solving his mysteries.

Since the hag-stone, he'd received no painted letters and the only flowers had been crushed beyond recognition. He continued his lessons with Grandpa, since whatever strange ability Yugi possessed to read the attic letters didn't extend to the squiggle writing. He'd progressed to recognizing a few words and considered it a victory.

He continued working at the shop, helping Grandma around the house, and avoiding Duke Devlin.

Perhaps most importantly, Yugi _dreamed_ \-- more vividly than ever, even more than the dream which gave him his hag-stone.


	66. Chapter 66

Yugi dreamed the forest again, springing to life around him, stepping stones glittering beneath his bare feet. Floating along the path, he felt light, hollow-boned. His toes barely brushed the stones as he danced into the newly-formed woods.

It sang to him with the voices of birds and insects and animals, and the deep-rooted chorus of the trees. He chased the song, barely noticing as sun gave way to shade and the stones turned entirely to moss. He should've been afraid. 

He wasn't.

From the deepest shadows, a voice mysterious and dark as midnight spoke. It spoke his name.

"... _Yugi_."


	67. Chapter 67

Clad in royal purple, golden vines twined on his brow, a man stepped from the shadows. A dark cloak thin as smoke floated behind him, its tattered hem twisting and coiling in the air as if woven from those same shadows. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and a sharp chin. Sharply defined eyes heavily lined in kohl sought Yugi's. His posture was straight and regal, head held high, but the uncertainty in his eyes made him seem somehow shy. On his out-stretched hand lay a single, perfect peach blossom. 

Other offerings flashed through Yugi's mind, flowers and letters... "Atem?"


	68. Chapter 68

Yugi couldn't say how he knew this otherworldly man, with twilight eyes and hair of sun and shadow, was the man who'd written Yugi such heart-felt letters. Who'd spelled out messages in flowers and won Yugi's heart by giving away his own. Now he stood before Yugi, warily watching and waiting for... what? 

Slowly, Yugi stepped toward Atem. "I know you. But... _how_?"

Pain flashed over Atem's beautiful face as he backed away.

"Wait!"

The wind tugged at the golden wisps of hair framing Atem's face and teased his cloak so it flared into midnight wings as he looked skyward.


	69. Chapter 69

From out of the gloomy canopy, a dark bird dove at Atem. It flogged at his head with its wings and raked claws across his face, leaving bloody streaks behind. Atem dashed it away with his arm, then leaped into the air. He flowed into the familiar form of the falcon and, with a wild hunting cry and powerful wing-beats, went on the attack.

To Yugi's horrified eyes, crow and falcon seemed evenly matched as they tumbled through the air locked in combat. Frantic to help, he searched the mossy ground for some kind of weapon, a stick or stone...


	70. Chapter 70

Before Yugi could do more than curse the lack of weaponizable forest detritus, more crows poured from the trees in a black thundercloud. He was forced to his knees, arms over his head to shield him from beaks and claws and wings.

The falcon helped where it could: Yugi heard its fierce cries, coming closer then receding as it tried to chase the crows away from him. Panting, Yugi belly-crawled to the nearest tree and hid among its ancient roots. Eyes on the battle above him, he clawed desperately at the leaf-litter. Searching...

Finally, his fingers closed over a stone.


	71. Chapter 71

With no time to waste, Yugi flung the pebble as hard as he could at the attacking crows. Scolding him in harsh voices, the flock scattered but quickly returned, arrowing back at him. 

Yugi scrabbled frantically for another rock and found two among the tangled roots. He didn't aim, simply threw one rock and hoped he hit anything not falcon-shaped. The flock broke apart and reformed like turgid black water sheened with oil. Atem was being overwhelmed by sheer numbers and driven back into the shadows, his bright wings darkening with blood.

"No!" Yugi screamed--

And flung the final stone.


	72. Chapter 72

Yugi'd never been an athlete, but this time he winged a crow. It spiraled out of the flock and crashed into a tangled bramble that hadn't been there a second ago.

He had no time to savor his victory as the other birds wheeled on him, giving Atem some time to recover. Yugi caught no more than a glimpse of Atem before being forced to retreat. The crows' wings beat at him, talons raking his exposed skin and catching at his clothes as he burrowed hastily into the cramped shelter formed by buttressing tree roots. 

The crows _skrawked_ in fury.


	73. Chapter 73

Yugi wriggled to the far side of the tight cluster of trees and peered through the thick tangle of roots. At first he couldn't make out more than a flurry of wings beating madly at the air. 

A lone sunbeam pierced the heavy gloom like a spotlight. As Yugi watched, falcon-Atem wheeled into the beam and hung for a suspended moment, gleaming golden as the sun haloed his form. Then inky brambles shot out like whips, ensnaring him. Falcon-shriek dopplered into a man's scream as he transformed. The thorns bit into his bleeding flesh, dragging him back into the shadows.


	74. Chapter 74

Yugi awoke to find his hand clenched around a pink peach blossom and his arms covered in scratches. He stared, his heart pounding. What did it mean that objects -- and now injuries -- kept following him into the waking world? 

He'd no answer for that question, but a quick look in _Language of Flowers_ informed him that peach blossoms meant _I am your captive_. He didn't know what to do with that revelation. Was Atem imprisoned in that forest? Were those awful crows some kind of guards?

Remembering the thorns that had ensnared Atem, Yugi shivered. Were these dreams ...or memories?


	75. Chapter 75

As Yugi made his bed, a smear of blood on the headboard caught his eye. He bent to wipe it away, brushing his fingers over carved lines contrasting against the light wood where his blood darkened them.

Unwilling to bleed just to reveal the rest of the carving, Yugi found some paper and a pencil. As the pencil's strokes showed him a triangular medallion encircled with a familiar squiggly writing, Yugi sighed. How'd his life get so strange? Or maybe it'd always been strange, just too well-disguised for him to see. At least no-one was trying to hide it again.


	76. Chapter 76

For once, Grandma'd still been asleep when Yugi left for work. He'd have to ask her about the design on his headboard when he got home. Maybe it was just a decoration but something told him there was more to it. Those squiggles, for one thing. He'd tucked the rubbing into his pocket so he could show it to Grandpa. The words -- assuming that's what they were -- weren't any Yugi recognized from his studies.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice he'd gained a companion until Duke slouched into the seat next to him on the bus.

"Miss me?" Duke smirked.


	77. Chapter 77

_Miss him_? Only in the sense that Yugi'd ducked around corners or into convenient stores more than once in order to avoid Duke when he'd spotted him on the street. 

Trapped on the bus, Yugi resisted the urge to blurt out the blunt truth. He didn't like confrontation, hated to hurt anyone's feelings, but Duke Devlin was really testing Yugi's patience. Why couldn't the guy take a hint?

Glancing back at his unwanted companion, Yugi forced his lips into a thin, insincere smile. Before the interruption, his thoughts had been a million miles away, in dreamland. 

He sighed. "Hey, Duke."


	78. Chapter 78

"Hey, Yugi." Duke preened his crow-black hair, then grimaced as though the action pained him. He rubbed at his shoulder.

Frowning, Yugi asked, "Are you all right?"

"Just took a tumble." Duke shrugged, then winced again. "Still kinda sore, but it's not too bad."

Something about Duke's careful nonchalance made Yugi take a closer look. Dozens of thin, reddened scratches decorated Duke's visible skin, as if...

"What did you do," Yugi asked, trying for a joking tone, "dive into a blackberry patch?"

"In Domino City?" Duke laughed, sly eyes glancing over Yugi's injuries. "And you? Tangle with some unhappy wildlife?"


	79. Chapter 79

Eyes narrowing, Yugi demanded, "Who are you, really?"

"What kinda question is that?" Duke drawled, lounging in his seat in a way calculated to prevent Yugi from making a fast get-away. He'd have to literally climb over the other man's body to reach the aisle. "I thought we were friends."

Yugi's gaze darted around, taking in the other passengers. No-one was paying them any attention. If he yelled for help... But what if he got someone hurt? "What do you want?" 

"Just to talk."

"We could talk on the phone."

Duke grinned. "This is more a face-to-face kind of conversation."


	80. Chapter 80

To Yugi's immense discomfort, Duke slung an arm around his shoulders and leaned close to murmur in Yugi's ear. "You're gonna ditch work and come with me. I'm sure your grandfather'll understand."

Yugi might not be sure of anything else right now, but he was _damn_ sure that was a bad idea. "He's expecting me. He'll worry if I don't show up."

"He'll worry more if you _do_." The arm around Yugi's shoulders squeezed, pressure just short of painful. The bus was slowing down. Duke's grin held zero mirth and far too many teeth. "C'mon, Yugi. This is our stop."


	81. Chapter 81

Waking with a head stuffed full of fog and a body constructed entirely of aches and pains, Yugi groaned and squinted at the bedside clock. He was gonna be late for work, but the effort of even sitting up was currently beyond him. He felt wrung-out and grody and like someone had put his brain through a blender. What had he been doing? His last clear memory was...

"Poor mite." Grandma appeared out of nowhere to press her hand to his forehead. "You're burning up. I'll call Solomon."

"I c'n g'ta work..." he protested, trying to rise.

"Don't be silly."


	82. Chapter 82

Waking a second time, Yugi half-fell out of bed and staggered into the bathroom for his morning routine. Afterward, he stumbled into the kitchen, slumping onto a chair as his energy deserted him. At the stove, Grandma stirred a pot of something herbal-green and sweet-smelling.

"That f'r me?" Yugi slurred. Grandma always had the best home remedies.

She responded by straining the concoction into a cup and handing it to him. "What'd you do yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"You skipped work, came home, and then slept for nineteen hours."

 _What_? Fear shivered through his body. "I don't remember..."

What'd happened to him?


	83. Chapter 83

"Yugi..." Grandma's gaze fixed on Yugi's neck. "Where's your necklace?"

Yugi lifted his hand, fingers grazing bare skin. "Necklace?"

Her gaze sharpened and she rose from the table. "I'm calling Solomon."

"Grandpa? Why?"

Grandma just shook her head and hobbled toward the phone on the kitchen wall, the heavy cast on her foot making it awkward for her to walk. When had she hurt herself? Yugi shook his head, willing the fog in his brain to clear. The last thing he remembered clearly was... 

was...

Tatters of memory flickered before his mind's eye -- jumbled, confusing images without context. 

Everything hurt.


	84. Chapter 84

Hoping it would help clear his head, Yugi swallowed a mouthful of his herbal tea. "Grandma? What necklace were you talking about?"

"You haven't taken that thing off since you got it." Grandma glanced over at him, phone to her ear. "Not even to sleep."

"I still dunno what you're talking about." Yugi's _hair_ ached. Was that even possible? "I don't -- I can't remember."

" _Dammit_ ," Grandma spat, startling Yugi so badly he almost spilled his tea. "I got the answering machine." She quickly left a message, then limped back to the table. "Think, Yugi. What's the last thing you remember?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember: this is the 1980s, so Grandpa's not carrying a phone around with him.


	85. Chapter 85

Yugi gave it some thought, but the attempt at calling up a clear memory only increased his headache. Rubbing his forehead, he admitted, "It's all fuzzy."

While he could recall glimpses of workdays and snatches of conversations, everything was disjointed and jumbled. It felt like someone had taken a hatchet and hacked out chunks of his summer, leaving behind gaps where images should be.

"I think... the clearest is... the last day of school?" He wasn't even sure of _that_ and concentrating only made things worse. "Sorry, I just... dunno."

Grandma sighed. "It's worse than I thought."

"What is?"

"Everything."


	86. Chapter 86

Grandma put off Yugi's questions, saying they should wait for Grandpa before discussing things further. Reluctantly, Yugi agreed. 

His mind might be spinning in circles but his body was leaden and aching, as if he'd been beaten. He was unbruised, but his arms looked like he'd tangled with an unhappy cat or a belligerent rosebush. What happened? It was terrifying that he'd forgotten so much. He gulped a second cup of Grandma's herbal remedy and then went to lie down. 

Freezing in the bedroom doorway, Yugi stared at the brown dead leaves, orange marigolds, and multi-hued zinnias covering his bed.


	87. Chapter 87

Yugi awoke to the overwhelming scent of marigolds. For one confusing moment he wondered if he'd fallen asleep in a flower bed -- until he recalled that he'd swept the floral debris off his bed onto the floor and would have to clean that up at some point. Suppressing a groan, he levered himself off the mattress and yawned his way to the door. How'd those flowers gotten onto his bed in the first place? Surely Grandma hadn't--

At the edge of the hallway, he heard his grandparents' voices and slowed. 

"--so frustrating!"

"We'll just have to do our best, Sarah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not getting this up sooner. I was busy helping my grandson with his 'virtual classroom' schoolwork and didn't have the energy for anything else after.


	88. Chapter 88

Yugi hadn't meant to eavesdrop and what he'd heard wasn't exactly encouraging, but he didn't let that stop him from hurrying into the parlor where he found Grandma and Grandpa. Both of them looked unhappy, though whether with each other or the situation, Yugi didn't know.

"What're you doing up?" Grandma asked, frowning at the way Yugi stumbled over to the nearest chair. "Clearly, you haven't recovered."

"But I've slept long enough. And I heard you guys--" Yugi looked between them. "What were you arguing about?"

"Not arguing," Grandpa said. "Not exactly."

"Okay. What were you ' _not exactly_ arguing' about?"


	89. Chapter 89

Grandma and Grandpa exchanged glances before fixing Yugi with matching sorrowful looks. "We can't tell you," Grandpa said.

"Why not?" Yugi was flummoxed. If it was something personal they simply didn't want to share, he'd understand, but that wasn't what they were saying. " _Why_ can't you tell me?"

"...We can't tell you that either." Grandma flung her hands up, as if her frustration had to spill out in physical expression, then slumped against the back of the sofa, her posture mirroring Yugi's own.

"I'd ask if you know how frustrating that is, but I think you do."

"You've _no_ idea."


End file.
